Do you need to unlearn any of the following lessons in order to establish yourself in business?

Lesson 1. You need to do it yourself!

Did you learn the same lesson in your family of origin that so many of us were taught? If so, it can be a hard one to unlearn. It can result in spending endless hours struggling with something, rather than asking a question that brings the simple answer you need.

I’ve learned this one repeatedly, often by wasting time trying to learn some brand new technical task on my own, rather than calling a help desk, or getting help from a colleague, mentor or coach. When this happens, I feel foolish after finally admitting that I’m stuck, and getting unstuck in a matter of just one or two sentences.

One of the best ways to unlearn the “Do-it-yourself” (or DIY) lesson is to join or form a mastermind group, online community or group. This gives you a welcome alternative to staying trapped in your own thoughts and frustrations with a task.

One of the best things about sharing with others is realizing that you’re not alone in facing certain challenges. Not to mention, it lets you build relationships of mutual benefit in limitless ways.

Lesson 2. You need to beat the competition!

This brings to mind the classic TV commercial of big businesses pitted against one another with winners and losers, such as Ford and GM trucks in a battle to work faster, harder, stronger. This can result in hopelessness and exhaustion at the mere thought of trying.

As a solopreneur, your fear can take on a life of its own, pitting yourself against those who have established themselves in every aspect of entrepreneurship, “speaker, trainer, author, coach and consultant.” Yikes! Why even try?

The good news is that there’s another way that’s a much better fit with your values and spirit. By getting to know others who want to provide the same type of services, you open a whole new world of opportunity and growth.

I’ve met and worked with entrepreneurs who are helping their clients with self-employment. What I’ve found is that we each have our own personality, slant and approach, which appeals to a select population of clients.

By getting to know each other, we’re able to refer the clients who just don’t fit or respond to our message, but resonate perfectly with another one. It results in a win for everyone, including the client. A great perk of this win-win alternative is the ability to earn affiliate fees from our mutual referrals.

Lesson 3. You need to get it right!

Did you grow up with the lesson that there are just two ways to do anything, the right way and the wrong way? If so, you’ve probably faced lots of disappointments, perhaps by trying to emulate others.

In business, this belief could lead to striving to fit into the cookie cutter image of the expert, or successful entrepreneur. It’s the perspective that there is only one way to make it all work, which is really the antithesis of establishing your own business.

One of the greatest joys of having your own business is the freedom to create something that’s YOU. We each have our own bag of strengths and we each need to find our own way of doing business that’s just the right fit.

For example, today, we have many choices of ways to market ourselves. By finding the approach that suits your strengths, prospective clients connect with you most easily. Although one person loves speaking and offering webinars, your strength might be writing using social networking sites, posting your thoughts on your blog and others, and writing articles.

So, what are the three Un-Lessons?

Un- Lesson 1. You DO NOT need to do it yourself!

Un- Lesson 2. You need to COOPERATE WITH, NOT beat the competition!

Un- Lesson 3. You need to FIND YOUR OWN WAY THAT’S JUST right!